Ice Cream Delicacies
by Heilig-San
Summary: A relationship, one ice cream at a time. BarryxOC
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: The Flash belongs to DC Comics and The CW.**_

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Stracciatella

Barry was walking along the park facing the ocean, lost in his thoughts. He was confused and unsure about how he should be reacting to many things. He missed having normal worries like the rest of the world, he missed being normal. Sure, being faster than Usain Bolt could ever dream of being was a nice ego boost and the whole saving people thing was great. It gave him some kind of purpose and it made him feel good to be useful. But sometimes he wished that there was a remote with a nice looking pause button to his life. A button that would give him the time to just breathe, and relax, and think without any interruption.

Barry sighed, kicking a rock. Being twenty five sucked. He was supposed to have it all figured out by now right? But instead he was playing superhero and pinning over his best friend, who was in a very happy relationship. With her father's partner. Who was a cop. And Barry wasn't insecure to the point of not admitting that Eddie was good looking. Barry couldn't compete, even if he had the balls to do so. And he didn't want to lose his best friend. Being him sucked. At this point he envied Oliver so much… It felt like high school all over again, but for superheroes. At least this time he was friend with the cool kid.

Spying a bench not far from him, he walked over and sat down on it. He was a mess. His brain was a mess and his thoughts were like a hurricane. He could admit to himself that he wasn't making any sense, jumping from one thought to another and he wasn't even sure what brought this on. Scratching the back of his head, he closed his eyes trying to clear his mind. He didn't know how long he stayed like that before he felt someone standing in front of him, blocking the sunlight. Cracking one eye open, he saw a girl with a huge smile on her face and an ice cream cone in her right hand.

"You know it's not safe to stay exposed to the sun this long" she said. "You might get sick and that would be a pity"

"Maybe I want to be sick?"

She looked at him confused.

"Why would you want that?" she asked, puzzled, cocking her head on one side causing her hair to follow the movement.

"It would be a good reason to stay home and a good excuse to not go to work" Barry answered a small smile on his face.

"Ah. When you put it that way I can understand" she nodded. "But wouldn't it be more efficient to…I don't know, break a leg or something?"

Barry let out a small laugh.

"That would be quite radical don't you think? It would be an inconvenience for me in the end, not being able to move around like I want"

"Meh, I just think that if you're going to get sick to miss work you should go all out" she shrugged making Barry smile.

"Your ice cream is melting" he remarked pointing at the white trail of cream on the cone.

"Oh! Silly me!" she exclaimed, taking a tissue and rolling it around."It's for you" she said, thrusting the cone into his hand.

"I didn't order ice cream" he said puzzled.

"I know, it's a gift. You looked a bit lost over here so I thought that ice cream would be good for you. Ice cream always makes me happy" she said in a chirpy voice. Her happiness was contagious and Barry soon found himself smiling at her and taking a bite.

"That's pretty good! Where did you buy it?" he wondered.

"I didn't buy it, I made it" she said happily.

"Really?"

"Yep. I work at the ice cream truck over there" she pointed behind him at a rainbow colored truck. It was so colorful that Barry wondered how he missed it before.

"That's quite the remarkable array of colors…"he commented making her giggle.

"My aunt says it looks like someone vomited skittles all over it. At first I wanted it to look like the vehicle in Scooby Doo but I'm not that fond of green" she grimaced. Barry snorted before nodding seriously.

"Don't you want to seat? I feel bad being seated while you're standing"

"If you're offering, why not!" she said, plopping down on the bench right next to him."I'm Callie by the way" she added, extending her hand to him.

"Barry" he said, shaking her hand.

"Nice to meet you Barry" she responded, grinning. "So tell me Barry, is it a habit of yours to be brooding when the weather is so beautiful to the point of contemplating skipping work?"

"No not really, I just had a bad day. But it got better thanks to your ice cream so, thank you" he said smiling.

"Told you, ice cream makes people happy" she beamed at him.

"Yeah, it's impossible to be sad with ice cream" he confirmed. "And certainly not when it's so good. Do you make all of your ice cream by yourself?"

"Well actually I only work part time with my cousin. I go to Central City University" she explained

"What are you majoring in?"

"Business with a focus on foreign languages"

"So you speak a lot of languages?" he asked curious.

"I speak four fluently and I dabble in a few others" she said shyly.

"The ice cream made me feel good but now I feel bad again" he joked.

"I'm sure you did great in University. What type of job do you do?"

"Forensics. For the CCPD"

"Wow so I should be careful about what I say around you then?" she teased.

"As long as there is ice cream, you're in the clear"

"Deal" she said, offering a bright smile.

Barry finished his ice cream and got up.

"I should go. It was nice meeting you"

"Nice meeting you too Mr. CCPD, come back soon!" she said getting up too.

"I'll try, bye!" he said softly then turned around, hands in his pocket, a little smile on his lips.


	2. Chapter 2

2\. Tutti Frutti

"Hey Barry!" a high pitched voice greeted him when he arrived at the same spot, a few days later. He looked up at her, being all busy behind her counter. She was dressed in a bright yellow dress and had white flowers in her hair.

"Hello Callie, how are you doing today?" he asked, smiling.

"Always good, Barry" she smiled back. She gave her change to the client in front of her then focused all her attention on him. She observed him for a few seconds before preparing a cone of red colored ice cream and giving it to him. "I promise it's not blood" she joked.

"I'll believe you then" he said and then took a bite. "That's even better than the previous one, what's in there?"

"All type of red berries, which explains the color" she answered. "I'm glad you like it. You seem to be in a better mood today," she remarked "not being broody suits you better"

"Thanks…I guess. How much do I owe you for the ice cream?"

"Nothing, it's on the house!"

"Are you sure? I mean, I'm happy for free ice cream but…"

"No worries, I kind of own the place remember?" she interrupted him with a smile.

"Alright, but I'll pay next time."

"Planning on coming back already? Is it for me or my ice cream?" she teased.

"The ice cream is not bad, but I like the company better" he answered playfully with a wink.

"Good answer Mr. CCPD, stay on my good side and you might get bigger cones than other people but, let's keep it between us, alright?"

"I'm a good secret keeper, no worries on my side" he chuckled.

Any further conversation was interrupted when a class of middle school kids came to the truck. Barry waved his hand to her then turned around to go back to the precinct. Honestly, he hadn't planned on going there again; he was just out on a break when he realized the ice cream truck really wasn't that far away so, out of pure curiosity, he made his way over there. And it was a good decision. The ice cream was just too good to be passed upon.

Barry was so focused on his cold snack that he didn't notice where he was going and bumped onto someone.

"Watch out, Barry!" yelled a voice he knew oh too well. But at that exact moment, he only cared about his precious ice cream going down crashing on the ground. He stayed silent for a few seconds before blinking and looking up at his best friend.

"You just committed a crime, Miss West" he said, dead serious.

"What?"

"That ice cream was god send, a gift from the heavens and now… just thinking about its destiny breaks my heart" he whispered

"You're being ridiculous. And it's your own fault, really, for not looking where you were going"

Barry threw her a hurt look before sighing.

"Hello Iris, what brings you over here? The boyfriend or the father?"

"Maybe just the best friend?" she smiled

"Right. Not that I don't believe you but your track record lately hasn't really been in my favor" he smirked.

"Yeah well I'm here to make it bet…"

"Iris? You're here early, we were not supposed to meet for another hour" a male voice interrupted them from the road. They turned around to see Eddy and Joe coming back from patrol.

Barry threw her a look before saluting the new comers and going inside the precinct, and up to his lab. He had some work not related to enhanced human beings to do.

The next few weeks were quite hectic with both his jobs so he hadn't found the time to go back to the truck. He was working on analyzing some blood samples from a crime scene when he received a call about a visitor waiting for him downstairs. Surprised, since he wasn't waiting for anyone, he rushed downstairs and came to a halt when he saw someone, in a very bright orange skirt and white tank top, waiting for him by the entrance.

"Callie?" he called, unsure.

"Hey" she answered shyly. "Am I interrupting? I'm sorry for popping up unannounced"

"No! It's alright" he reassured her "I'm just surprised, I wasn't expecting you"

"Well you haven't been by the truck so I thought I would bring you some ice cream" she said smiling and handing a bag to him.

"Oh you didn't have to!" he said, happily taking the bag from her hands.

"I'm only working part-time today so I had some free time anyway. I brought you the same as last time, since you loved it so much"

"How is it called anyway?"

"Tutti Frutti. Roughly translates to 'All fruits' in English" she answered.

"Is that Italian?"

"Yup!"

"Nice accent you got there, you mu…" a ringing sound interrupted them. He smiled at her apologetically then looked at his phone.

"Sorry about that, it's an alarm that tells me that the analysis I was doing is done" he started. "Wanna come up? I can find a nice place for you without any weird substance that might be hazardous for your health" he continued, smiling.

"Oh I'd love to put my life at risk but I'm actually seeing a friend at the mall in a few minutes so…rain check?" she asked, cocking her head on the side, a small smile on her lips.

"I'll hold you to that. Let me walk you out" he said, turning her around her walking next to her to the exit.

"Thanks again for the ice cream, work has been hectic lately, it's like criminals decided to go all out for whatever reason" he sighed.

"You do look tired. Hope I'm not holding you up on important stuff. I should have called before coming, sorry…" she said contrite.

Barry just took a pen off his back pocket and gave it to her before rolling his sleeve and putting his arm in front of her.

"Here, give me your number and we'll work out a visiting schedule" he said, blushing a bit. She smiled brightly at him and wrote the list of digits.

"Will be waiting for a text Mr. CCPD" she said, "I really have to go now, see you around Barry!"

And with a small wave she was off running. Barry couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face while he turned back, ice cream in one hand and a phone number on another one.


	3. Chapter 3

3\. Vanilla

Barry was in need of coffee. A strong dose of coffee to get through his day. Work was still hectic and he hadn't had time for himself in weeks. He wanted a break and was honestly thinking of asking some time off for vacation. He was pretty sure he had a lot of time available anyway, since he'd never missed a day of work in all his years at the CCPD. It was long overdue.

Passing his hand through his hair, he pushed the door to Jitters and fell in line. He was so lost in his thoughts that it took him some time to realize that someone was talking to him. Turning around, a fuchsia dress caught his eye.

"Do you always wear such bright colors?" he asked absently.

"Colorful things are happy" Callie answered with a smile brighter that her dress. "You don't look very well" she remarked, frowning.

"I'm tired. It's been nonstop at work and I wish I could just crack my skull open and disconnect my brain for just five minutes" he groaned.

"Well, that was oddly specific. Do you have some time now? We could sit down for a moment if you'd like. I'm on a break, next class in is an hour and I'd like some company" she asked shyly.

Barry thought about it for awhile and decided that the CCPD could do without him for the next hour or so.

"Sure" he said, "why don't you go get a table for us? I'll order and join you. What would you like to drink?"

"A cappuccino, please. I'll go sit then" she smiled.

A small smile appeared on Barry's face. Callie was one of a kind, really, with her bright clothes, ever present smile and her obsession with being happy. After getting his order, he scanned the room looking for the cheerful girl, and found her next to a window. He stopped for a moment, admiring the way she looked. The sunlight coming through the glass reflected on her curly mass of hair and on the lip-gloss she was wearing. She was really pretty, in an innocent way. There was something a bit doll like in her features, and the fact that she was tiny didn't help that impression. Smiling, Barry approached her and sat on the seat opposite to the one she was using.

"I wasn't too long, was I?" he wondered.

"No, it's alright. I didn't even notice. I was absorbed by this online shopping app. It's a good thing I don't have much money on me, because I would be very broke by now" she joked.

"Shopaholic?"

"Mostly window shopping. I put a bunch of things in my wish list but never really buy them" she laughed.

"You would get along quite well with Iris" he said, smiling.

"Iris? Who's that? Your girlfriend?" she asked, curious.

"No, gods no. She's my best friend slash kind of sister."

"Kind of sister?"

"Her father raised me, we grew up together".

"Oh. Good."

"Good?"

"Yeah. Good" she said. And that was it. Barry didn't try to ask for more. Women were weird after all and he clearly wasn't first in the Decoding Women 101 class.

"So" he started "tell me about you. Most of the times we talk about me, let's hear about you today".

"Well, I'm 23, I have two baby brothers, I live with my best friend Daniela, I have a cat called Loki and I like bright colors?" she said.

"Is that a question? Because I think the answer is pretty obvious" Barry said, chuckling.

"Yeah Captain Obvious is my middle name" she snickered.

"What's the deal with all those colors by the way?"

"I have no idea where it comes from. I just realized colors suited me and put me in a good mood, so I stuck with it" she answered, shrugging.

"You're right, it suits you. And I don't know if I should put it on your choice of clothes or just you but, every time we meet, I feel better. I think you are my happy pill".

"Glad to be of help" she said smiling again.

"So you have two brothers?"

"Yeah, Alexei and Leandros. They are four and little troublemakers in making. I don't see them as much as I would love to since I moved out of the family house but I try to go back home as much as I can on weekends".

"I would have liked to have a little brother or sister, I think it would have been nice" he mused.

"People always want what they don't have," she said wisely. "There were times when I wished I was an only child but the truth is, even if I could, I wouldn't want them to not be there" she said smiling softly.

"Do you have a picture?"

"Sure! I have a whole album" she exclaimed, pulling out her phone and showing her lock screen picture.

"They are cute. They look a lot like you."

"And we look a lot like our mother. She's from Mauritius so there's African, Indian and Chinese blood in us through her."

"That's amazing! I'm just boringly American. You're not helping my self-esteem here"

"Come on mister CCPD, we're the same age and you're already doing quite well for yourself while I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with my life."

"Actually I'm older than you. I'm 25."

"It's not that old, we're still in our early twenties" she dismissed.

"Say that again when you reach a quarter of a century."

"Whatever, mister CCPD."

"You live with your best friend then?"

"Yep. We have a flat near CCU. It's closer than my house and we've know each other since we were tiny five years old girls. Stuck together since."

"That's nice! I've known Iris since I was eight. Sometimes I think we know a bit too much about each other. No real place for secrets between us."

"We all need our private garden. There are things I don't tell Daniela and there are things she doesn't tell me. It's good for a healthy relationship".

"I agree with you."

"Oh, look at the time! I will be late for class if I don't go now!" she yelled, looking at her watch. She precipitately got up and looked at Barry. "I'm sorry to be leaving in such a hurry. But you have my number so don't be stranger! Bye!" then she left leaving Barry slightly befuddled.

When he got back to work thirty minutes later, vanilla ice cream was waiting for him in the lobby. It had been delivered by a woman in a colorful truck.


End file.
